Students Concerned with Heritage Minister’s Strategy for Upcoming Review of the Copyright Act

Students Concerned with Heritage Minister’s Strategy for Upcoming Review of the Copyright Act

OTTAWA, September 29, 2017 – In response to Minister Joly’s strategy to focus on creators in the upcoming review of the Copyright Act, students would like to highlight the importance of user’s rights and access to information, particularly in post-secondary education (PSE). Students believe that the existing Copyright Act’s exceptions for education, also known as fair dealing, have proven crucial to reducing barriers, improving access and enhancing innovation and quality in Canadian post-secondary education.

The issue of affordability in education is directly connected to that of access to information. While students continue to purchase educational materials, placing too great a financial burden on students through expensive course materials and high copyright tariffs ultimately means limiting their ability to access the widest breadth of information possible.

“As both users and creators, students recognize that it is vital that those who create content are compensated justly,” explains CASA’s Executive Director, Michael McDonald. “That said, this cannot come at the expense of key copyright user protections centered around fair dealing.”

CASA and our partner, the Quebec Student Union, believe that the current copyright framework fairly balances the rights of copyright holders with the access rights of educational users. More information regarding students’ views on copyright and fair dealing in education can be found on the CASA website.

“We hope Minister Joly will approach, consult and support all relevant stakeholders when reviewing the Copyright Act,” added Mr. McDonald.

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About CASA:

Established in 1995, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit, national student organization composed of 22 student associations representing 255,000 post-secondary students from coast to coast. Through its partnership with the Quebec Student Union (QSU) and its 8 members representing 77,000 students, CASA presents a national student voice to the federal government. CASA advocates for a Canadian post-secondary education system that is accessible, affordable, innovative, and of the highest quality.

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What We Do

CASA is a national voice for Canada’s post-secondary students. Established in 1995, CASA is a non-partisan, not-for-profit student organization composed of student associations from across Canada. We represent undergraduate, graduate and polytechnic associations.